Walking to the top of Rangitoto Island, the youngest volcano in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf, is a fabulous half-day to full-day trip. There are regular ferries (about 25 minutes each way) from Downtown Auckland. Walking to the top takes about an hour through an amazing landscape of basalt lava fields, the largest pohutukawa forest in NZ, lava caves, and 360-degree views.
You can also walk around much of the island for a half-day and cross over a man-made causeway to next door Motutapu Island. Motutapu has swimmable beaches and a campsite. The islands are park reserves, so there are no shops. Both islands have been mammal pest-free reserves since 2011.
Rangitoto is the youngest and largest of the 50 volcanoes in the 200,000-year-old Auckland volcanic field. The island erupted around 1450 to 1500, covering an area of 2,311 ha in ash. It is an easily recognised and prominent city landmark, easily seen from the city's northeast side.
The name "Rangitoto" means “Bloody Sky” and is derived from "Ngā Rangi-i-totongia-a Kapua" ("The days of the bleeding of Kapua"). It appears to suggest an image of an eruption but refers to Tama-te-Kapua, the captain of the Arawa waka. He was badly wounded on the island during a battle with Tainui iwi.
Rangitoto is notable for its black basalt lava fields and pohutukawa forest. Other prominent trees include northern rātā. Because of the island’s relatively young age, the stages of natural vegetation growth over time are apparent. A few plants, most notably pohutukawa, gain a hold in the crevices, and then the soil is gradually established through windblown matter and flora breakdown. Today, the forest is still young but gradually diversifying as the habitat evolves.
Rangitoto has been in public ownership since 1854. It was used as a rock source for construction in Auckland. In 1890, it became a reserve and popular destination for daytrippers. From 1925 to 1936, prison labourers built roads on the island and a track to the summit from the main access at Islington Bay. Military installations were constructed during World War II to support Auckland's harbour defences, including the fortress at Stony Batter on Waiheke Island. The old observation post on the summit is a remnant of these installations.
Several historical oddities are associated with Rangitoto. Islington Bay was originally known as Drunks Bay, as it was used to dry out intoxicated sailors before they left the Gulf. Boulder Bay was a wrecking ground for unwanted ships on the island's north side. The remains are still visible at low tide. Around 140 baches were built in the 1920s and 1930s. Construction was prohibited in 1937, and many have been removed. Some are still used, and several are preserved to showcase the island's previous community, including one near the ferry landing in Islington Bay.
